The 'Best Gorilla Joke of 1897' is a viral absurdist meme that gained massive popularity on platforms like TikTok and Twitter. It typically features a vintage-style image of a gorilla or a formal 19th-century setting, paired with a joke that is either intentionally unfunny or strangely modern. The humor stems from the 'anti-joke' structure and the bizarre claim that such a meta-joke existed in 1897. Users often use this template to subvert expectations or to participate in the trend of 'historical' shitposting, where the humor lies in the deadpan delivery of a nonsensical punchline that feels wildly out of place for the Victorian era.